


The ghost of you

by DestielIsFuckinReal



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Coda, Episode: s02e05 Valhalla, M/M, it's sad Klave hours as usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:35:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25650727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestielIsFuckinReal/pseuds/DestielIsFuckinReal
Summary: (lil spoiler, I wrote this before watching 2×06, so some small little things are slightly different from canon)
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Kudos: 64





	The ghost of you

Klaus breathes a sigh of relief, falling on the sheet covered couch. It took him hours to convince his cult to go away, that he wanted to be alone for a night. Don't get him wrong, it was fun at first, people clinging to every random word falling from his lips like thirsty men and women and he's the only source of water in a desert, but now it's just exhausting and he ran out of hallmark chocolate lines.

«Thought you would end it» Ben says to his side, always present, like a shadow. Or a guardian angel. The irony is not lost on Klaus, the kid newspapers called the Horror (and Klaus can bet all the booze that it was Hargreeves' doing) is the most caring of all of them. Or at least he's the only one who always cared about _him_ , staying by his side since he died, either because Klaus was the only one Ben knew could talk to or because he knew Klaus could need a hand or two whenever he felt like hitting rock bottom. None of his siblings ever cared enough to ask how he was doing since they all fell apart. Luther on the moon, Diego being a vigilante like some comic book hero, Allison with her fabulous Hollywood life. Only Ben stuck around, for obligation or loneliness, Klaus doesn't really care.

«The world is gonna end soon anyway» Klaus says, not bothering to open his eyes, «what are six more days»

«Five days» Ben corrects.

«Aren't you a pain in the ass today»

He can hear Ben's grin when he says, «Aren't I always?»

Klaus sits up, ready for a comeback when there's a knock on the door. The two brothers share a look before Klaus groans, standing up.

«Guys, come on, I thought we agreed that the prophet needs to-» the words die in his throat when he finds Dave on the other side.

«Uhm, hi» he says, small, and Klaus's head swirls with questions like _why are you here?_ , and _how did you find me?_ , and it hurts, it hurt so much because this is Dave five years younger and one week from enlisting to 'Nam and he doesn't even know The Doors or Soul kitchen, his favourite song, _their_ song, and he doesn't even know _him_.

«I know it's late» Dave is saying, «I just wanted to apologise for my uncle, and the split lip»

Klaus touches the cut with his fingertips, «It'll heal» he says, as if in trance. 

Dave's lips lift at the corner and Klaus thinks of all the times he's been at the receiving end of that smile, and again he reminds himself that this is not his Dave. Not yet at least.

Dave clears his throat, starts fidgeting with his fingers. He's nervous. When he speaks again, his eyes move from the floor, to the door handle, to somewhere behind Klaus, «You said all those things about me back at the diner, how...» he gulps, finally meeting Klaus's eyes, «I don't even know you, who told you all those things?»

«You did» Klaus mutters, and when Dave raises one eyebrow in question, he says, «I can tell you, if you want, but you better sit down for it» he moves out of the way and Dave stares at him one moment before walking inside.

Behind him, Ben hisses his name, but Klaus doesn't pay him attention, instead, he guides Dave to the living room.

«Klaus, you can't do that!» Ben says, louder, and Klaus whips around to face him once Dave is out of earshot.

«I don't _care_ , Ben» he says, «The world is about to end, Diego is all hell bent on saving Kennedy and that's most likely how it will happen for what I gathered, if Vanya doesn't lose it first, while Five wants to go to dad to stop it. _Dad_. We have to go to him and ask him to help us, a bunch of kids he never wanted he used as guinea pigs for his experiments, we all have ptsd because of him, god knows _I_ do. So excuse me if I want to spend one night with the man I love who doesn't even know who I am, than the mess that is our family»

«Klaus-» Ben starts but Klaus doesn't want to hear it, following Dave in the other room, «Save it»

Klaus finds Dave sitting on the couch, reading the label of the bottle of scotch he left on the coffee table. «Good stuff you got there» he says, without looking up.

Klaus chuckles, sits down next to him. There's a moment of silence where Klaus just looks at him, as if learning all the details once again. His long lashes, his strong jaw, his perfect nose. Then Dave looks up at him and his blue eyes meet Klaus's.

«I'm from the future» Klaus blurts out and Dave raises his eyebrows, wondering if this is a joke. Klaus goes on, «I'm from 2019, but that's not the first time I went back. It was 1968, A Shau Valley, Vietnam» he takes a deep breath, «That's where I met you, or I will, eventually» Dave moves so he's now fully facing him, «and I didn't belong there, and you somehow always knew so you helped me with the whole thing, I'm not much of a fighter, I never held a firearm before but you were patient and you taught me, and you told me how your uncle Brian was so proud when you enlisted for Vietnam, and so were your father and grandfather, and then we kissed in a bar, on the notes of your favorite song by your favorite band, they aren't a band yet, by the way» he chuckles softly, wiping one tear that's about to fall, «I never loved anyone like I loved you, you made me feel so alive, and then...» Klaus looks up at the ceiling, willing more tears to not fall. He feels Dave's hand close around his wrist.

«And then what?» he asks, softly.

Klaus shakes his head, he can't talk about it, can't _think_ about it, because it's all still fresh in his mind, the boom of the shells, the sound of the gunfires, the feeling of Dave's soul leaving his body, like the air being sucked out of Klaus himself.

«It doesn't matter» Klaus says, looking back at Dave, his eyes shiny with tears, «The world is gonna end in five days anyway, no Watergate, no Chernobyl, no Trump, no global warming, so you're welcome»

Dave doesn't say anything, he just looks at Klaus, searching for something. The only sound in the room is the clock ticking and the occasional siren outside. It is all so peaceful. Then Dave moves closer, he whispers, «Can I... Can I kiss you?»

Klaus stifles a sob, for a split second he thinks _yes, oh please, yes_ , but he shakes his head, a sad smile on his face, «I'm sorry» he says, not caring of the tears that finally spilled, «It's just...»

«Hard» Dave finishes for him, «I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked»

«Come here» Klaus says and leans in to kiss his forehead, like Dave used to do whenever the ghosts became too overwhelming. He never told Dave about his powers, always called them nightmares. And how could he? It's scary enough on his own, he didn't want to scare him too.

Dave's hand moves from his wrist to his hand, holding tight, and Klaus's free hand moves to the back of Dave's neck. A simple touch, but it means the world to Klaus.

Klaus rests his forehead on Dave's, eyes closed, and feels two thumbs wiping his tears away.

«Hey» Dave says after a moment, and Klaus opens his eyes. Dave smiles and he smiles back. «I better go» he says at last. 

Klaus nods and reluctantly stands up, walking Dave to the door. But before he can close it, Dave says, «I'll wait for you»

«How? We have five days»

Dave smirks, «You're from 2019, aren't you? I don't think doomsday is next week if you're 60 years from the future» and with that he's gone.

Klaus closes the door, leaning on it and closing his eyes. He feels a whiff of air on his shoulder, followed by Ben's voice saying, «Make me corporeal, asshole»

A second later he feels two arms close around him. He leans on Ben, draping one of his own around his shoulders.

«Thanks, I really needed that, baby bro»

He can feel Ben rolling his eyes, «We're born the same day»

«I'm Number Four, I'm older» he grins, eyes still closed.

Ben hits him lightly upside the head. He hugs Klaus tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> (lil spoiler, I wrote this before watching 2×06, so some small little things are slightly different from canon)


End file.
